12 Comments
Apr 29Liked by Annabelle Lukin

thanks. so often feel that grief, and a lack of any control over what is happening. the solastalgia is big in me...

look forward to more.

Expand full comment
author

I'm going to write something just about this word sometime - it's history is based in the Hunter region of NSW.

Expand full comment
Apr 29Liked by Annabelle Lukin

Hi Annabelle, congratulations on your new Substack. I love the title and the way you have taken us on a ‘changing’ journey - adjective and verb. I too, enjoyed reading about the history of the term ‘extreme flooding’. Looking forward to learning more. 🙏

Expand full comment
Apr 29Liked by Annabelle Lukin

"The science of climate is settled. The problem now is one about communication." - fantastic, key quote. Global warming is the fear that dare not speak its name: most are thinking it, but won't discuss it out loud with family and friends. Wonderfully thought-provoking piece

Expand full comment
author

Thanks Brad - I look forward to getting some suggestions from you for future articles

Cheers

Annabelle

Expand full comment

You know I love the evolution of 'extreme flooding' from obstetrics to climate. Can't wait to follow along with your work, Annabelle x

Expand full comment
author

I was thinking of your work as I made this discovery Jodi!

Expand full comment

"... CO2, a polluting, heat-trapping gas that we described as ‘emissions’. "

CO2 is not a pollutant. It is not an "emission" in the sense of being something dirty or poisonous. This is actually THE miscarriage of the linguistics. BTW, CO2 comprises only about 0.04% of the earth's atmosphere. It is a trace gas.

Have we forgotten what were were taught early in our schooling about photosynthesis?... about how plants take CO2 and water to make carbohydrates, the energy substrate of life?

Have we forgotten that CO2 is one of the end products of combusting (burning, oxidizing,) the carbohydrates in animals?

Do we not realize that CO2 is pumped into some green houses to accelerate plant growth?

CO2 is a fundamental requirement for life as we now know it.

Have we considered the horrible consequences of not using fossil fuels to make plastic medical tools that are one-use, disposable and sterile?: endotracheal tubes, IV kits, dialysis kits, catheters, garbage bags, the waterproof resins for surgical gowns, syringes, elastics in masks, face shields, chucks, medications, pill bottles, CPAP masks and tubes, respirator valves, etc.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for taking the trouble to read and comment Ken. You might like to read The Rule of Five - about a legal case over whether the category 'pollutant' in America's Clean Air Act extended to CO2 - https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Five-Climate-History-Supreme/dp/0674238125 - a very important matter of definition, which I'll get around to at some point.

Expand full comment

BTW, I tend to ignore (like many knowledgeable people) the misnomering of biomass fuels as "fossil fuels." But the misnomering does illustrate that the longer and more often an inaccurate name is used the stronger its association becomes.

I'm not confident the "biomass fuels" is an accurate name.

Expand full comment

I will. Thanks, Annabelle.

This should be fun to dissect.

Patrick Michaels explains how the government(s) (except for Russia) has corrupted climatology and led us to believe that the rise in global temperature is many times the reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUX3C9QOO2o

Expand full comment

What are you actually trying to say Ken?

Expand full comment